Rushing to the top of the hot search! Apple was fined $2 million (about 13 million yuan) for not including a charging head.
In the past, when you bought a cell phone, a box had a charging head and headphones in addition to the phone, but nowadays when you buy a cell phone, you really just buy the phone.
However, not all countries are giving a pass to the matter of not including a charging head for cell phones, Brazil is the exception.
Apple fined $2 million for not including a charging head
Apple has been fined nearly $2 million in the Brazilian state of São Paulo for violating the Consumer Law Act due to the lack of a charger in the box of the new iPhone, according to a report by Tilt, a Brazilian technology news outlet cited by NorthEveningNewVision.com. Procon-SP, the consumer protection agency in São Paulo, decided to fine Apple after the company’s decision to remove the power adapter from the iPhone’s box came under intense scrutiny.
It is understood that after the release of the iphone 12, Apple made the decision that all cell phones and Apple Watch on sale on its official website no longer come with a charger as standard, with the current exception of the iPad.
However, it is worth mentioning that the fine is not only for the charger, but Procon-SP also believes that Apple has misleading advertising (iPhone11 Pro into the water is not guaranteed), iOS upgrade problems, unequal terms, etc.
Fernando Capez, executive director of Procon-SP, issued a stern warning to Apple after the fine, saying it needs to respect and understand the Brazilian consumer laws and system. In addition to the lack of chargers, Apple was also fined for misleading customers about the iPhone’s water resistance. procon-SP claims that Apple refused to repair devices for customers who suffered water damage with their iPhones, even though the devices were under warranty.
It is reported that Apple may appeal the $2 million fine, which has not yet been responded to by Apple.
Brazilian consumer protection agency.
Apple needs to include chargers for iPhone 12
In fact, back in early 2020, Procon-SP had asked Apple why it no longer offered charging accessories for its new iPhones. Apple’s answer was that most consumers already had power adapters and removing them would reduce carbon emissions. But Procon-SP added that the charger is an “essential part” of using an iPhone or other product. Apple’s failure to package the charger with the device says Apple is in violation of Brazilian consumer protection laws.
Last October, Procon-SP again questioned Apple’s practices, and in November of the same year, Procon-SP concluded that Apple’s practices were not environmentally beneficial. In response to the fine, Procon-SP noted that Apple was asked to respond on the difference in price between with and without the charger, and whether the cost cut by removing the charger was reflected in the selling price.
The agency asked Apple to prove that not using the charger with the iPhone would not harm consumers and that doing so would bring environmental benefits (Apple’s pitch was to protect the environment). Apple responded to Procon-SP, reinforcing its argument that most users already have compatible chargers and that the decision would reduce carbon emissions. However, the Brazilian distributor was not satisfied with the response. According to Procon-SP, the power adapter is considered an essential component for using the product, and the sale of iPhones without chargers violates Brazilian consumer-related regulations.
The agency claims that Apple did not provide sufficient evidence that removing the charger from the box would help the environment, and that the company could not guarantee that they would provide the same technical support to consumers who purchase third-party chargers. Apple has until tomorrow to respond to the decision or the company will be fined in Brazil. Although the decision is exclusive to the state of São Paulo, Brazilian national consumer-related officials are also considering mandating that Apple sell iPhones with chargers nationwide.
Until last December, Brazilian agencies notified Apple that selling iPhones in the country without a charger in the box was a violation of the Consumer Protection Law. Apple then responded to this, saying that most customers already had a spare adapter and that providing another one in the box was unnecessary.
According to Sina Digital, a court in the Brazilian state of São Paulo ruled that iPhones sold locally by Apple must come with a charger. The decision was confirmed by Procon-SP, the public consumer protection agency of the state of São Paulo, which ruled that Apple must sell new iPhones with the accessories locally, despite the fact that Apple has removed the charger and headphones from this year’s iPhone packaging.
Some industry insiders point out that although Apple claims it is for environmental purposes, for some users, it adds to the cost.
Apple says not to match the charger is for environmental protection
Netizen: ugly Food, good penalty!
In October 2020, Apple released the new iPhone 12 series of cell phones, including the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 ProMax four models. All four models support wireless charging, and none of them will come with a charger and headphones anymore. Apple said that the charger will not be included for environmental purposes.
Apple claims on its current website that “existing power adapters, EarPods with lightning connectors, and USB-A to lightning cables are available for iPhone 12. The iPhone line will no longer come with these accessories. This will reduce carbon emissions, as well as the extraction and use of rare raw materials. It will also result in smaller packaging and a corresponding increase in the number of products that can be shipped at any one Time, resulting in fewer shipments overall. At the same time, we are driving our manufacturer partners to switch to renewable energy. All of these initiatives will reduce carbon emissions by more than 2 million tons per year.”
It also said that users can continue to use the USB-A to lightning cable in their hands to charge the new iPhone, or they can use the USB-C to lightning cable that is now included in the box for quick charging. And, the included cable can also be used with your USB-C power adapter or computer interface. The reduction in carbon emissions is equivalent to taking 450,000 cars off the road for a year.
However, some netizens said about this, “Apple’s eating more and more ugly, it’s surprising that you have to pay extra for a charging head and cable to buy a phone.” Others applauded the fine and said, “Good penalty! The phone without the charging head is equivalent to eating without a bowl.”
At the same time, some consumers appealed: “In fact, manufacturers should develop environmentally friendly products in the name of environmental protection, rather than just degrading the consumer experience in various names. So, this time being fined, I believe that in subsequent products, perhaps Apple will go back to the past and continue to equip digital products such as cell phones with some necessary accessories products.”
Recent Comments